The new Golden Boy
by Casbutt-in-Camelot
Summary: Nico Di Angelo is not a Hero. He just knows a lot of them. Going into the woods to help deliver some Hell Hound Pups with a new, annoying, Golden Boy Superhero is not on his to-do list. Will Solace is far too nosy, far too concerned for his health, far too...caring. It was starting to creep Nico out. *Sequel to Run this Town, Pre-read necessary!* Superhero AU Solangelo
1. Chapter 1

**This is a sequel/companion piece to Run this Town, pre-read is necessary! I wrote that fic before reading BOO and falling in love with Solangelo, so I decided why not write a superhero AU for them too? Enjoy and review! **

Nico Di Angelo was not a hero.

He never wanted to be one; he always found the idea daunting, to have a whole city rely on you for every little thing. He grew up around heroes; his dad and his sister were both actively using their powers for good (or, In his Father's case- neutrally). Bianca had been a great hero. Someone to look up to, a loved figure in the city and across the world.

When she died, Nico was against being a hero even more. When his father died, the whole idea of them was unthinkable.

He didn't hate heroes, no way- he admired them a lot. Their bravery, their loyalty to their people and the sacrifices they made for justice and the safety of normal lives. Nico did his part in his own way, taking up a position in the police force, not using his powers unless his partner or one of his team was in danger. An unavoidable situation was when his powers came out.

After the battle with Luke and Kronos, Nico was a little less against the whole hero gig. He didn't know how he got roped into the whole thing; but suddenly he was one of them, part of a team like his sister, taking down the bad guys like she did. He thought about that day a lot- she came back to him that day, protected him from harm- he'd spent so long trying not to remember her because it hurt to know she was gone that seeing her completely threw him. He felt at peace with her death, able to let her fade once more when he was safe, knowing she was watching over him. It was strange for a man with deathly gifts to have his view on death change so quickly.

He was offered a place on the team not long after, and he negotiated his terms- he didn't want a double life, no masks or lies or the rest of the secrecy that came with heroism; he would continue being a cop, help out when needed, and that would be it. No more, no less.

He didn't realise he wasn't the only new face on the team.

Percy Jackson was never really 'new', exactly; Typhoon had been around for as long as the young team were, doing his own thing, making women swoon and eyes swivel. Nico, admittedly, was one of them. He couldn't help it- the hero was perfect, and when he met the man behind the mask he was even more appealing. It wasn't fair. Of course Percy then went and fell for Night Owl (stupid hero and his stupid Hetrosexuality), joining the team happily. Jason/Blue Lightning- another pretty hero- had also found himself a girlfriend, which left Nico grumpy, slightly bitter and the one single guy amongst a group of couples. No way was he joining that.

So no, Percy was not the new face on the team; no one even told Nico about the new guy before he was called out to help the group with a nasty hellhound pack that was causing chaos in the city centre. He deliberated driving in a cop car, but he realised it was likely to get totalled (probably by Frank, who had a habit of smashing up his cars) and the state would no longer pay for damages. Shadow travelling it was. Nico grumbled, knowing his shadow travelling would drain his energy, but he had to do it- running across the city was not an option.

"Nico! Help a brother out!" Percy called through his mask once Nico had arrived, and Nico could tell the guy was grinning, probably very much enjoying shooting jets of water at the hounds and watching them squirm.

"You're an idiot Typhoon!" Nico replied, and he laughed.

"They're not responding to my charmspeak" Piper announced, appearing next to Nico as if accusing him for their lack of response to her powers. He shrugged.

"Death monsters. They won't respond to love charms. Looks like you're gonna have to leave it to me" He sighed, and she nodded.

"You don't want them killed?" She assumed.

"They're dying out on their own, my father had a particular use for hellhounds. I'd like to spare a few for his memory"

Piper nodded and began shouting to the others to not kill the creatures- a figure in golden armour made a yell of protest. Who was that guy? Nico didn't recall anyone getting an outfit change recently. He crossed the city centre- a beautiful pedestrianized plaza with trees and market stalls dotted around- in large strides, approaching the six hellhounds that were growling and circling, the cause of the line of destruction that spread south from this point. Nico held out his palms, trying to send out some positive feelings, to assure the Hounds he wasn't a threat like the others had shown themselves to be. Nico wouldn't hurt them, Nico was their friend. They began to growl in unison, and Nico slowed, keeping his hands in sight.

"Calm, Good hellhounds" Nico rumbled, keeping his voice even and relaxed, and three of the Hounds quietened. He didn't want to scare them with his powers unless he had to, that would only make them fear and distrust him.

"Why does that work when he says it? When I say 'good dog' I nearly get my arm taken off" Jason muttered from nearby. Nico smirked.

"Its okay guys, they're not gonna hurt you. No one is going to spook you now, okay?" Nico soothed. The Hounds crept closer, one being nudged aside as the others took the lead. She was smaller, obviously female, being protected by her pack as the others checked Nico out for danger. He could see the swell of her stomach that told him a litter was on its way; he needed her out of the city before the noise and the heroes stressed her into losing the puppies.

"Guys, I'm gonna lead them back to the country- stay whilst the mother has her litter" Nico announced, and he looked over his shoulder to see several confused expressions.

"Litter?" Inferno asked, mystified. Luckily Annabeth didn't look surprised.

"Take Solace with you, he's a Doctor" She said, and the golden boy walked forward. His armour seemed to glow faintly, his eyes were blue under his helmet, strands of blonde hair falling into his eyes.

Damn, Nico always had a small thing for blondes. He hoped Solace had some ugly skin problems under his hero disguise and not give him any excuse to stare like a fool. In fact he hoped he wouldn't see under the suit; he wasn't too bothered about a new hero at the moment, more about the pregnant Hell hound in the city centre.

"Come on" Nico muttered.

"Where are we going Officer?" Solace asked. Nico rolled his eyes.

"Just shut up and follow me would you?"

He whistled to the Hell Hounds and they all gathered around him instantly, recognising the high pitched whistle to be something his father used to call them with. He set off walking, and the pack followed obediently, one even offering Nico a ride. He climbed aboard his back and Solace was plucked up by a second Hound, and the group turned back the way they came.

"You guys made a real mess here, what were you doing running into a city?" Nico asked, almost scolding them. The pack whined quietly, guiltily.

"Its all right, you just need to get out before she gives birth. Hell Hounds need to be born out of the way of humans- we don't want you domesticated like the other dogs"

At this there were several rumbling noises; looks like the hell hounds agreed with Nico on that one.

"Why do they listen to you?" Solace asked.

"My Father was Hades; They were real close to him" Nico replied.

"Oh, right. My Dad was Apollo"

"No wonder you're the Golden boy"

Solace chuckled.

"And no wonder you look like the poster child for death; have you slept at all in your life?" He asked. Nico scowled.

"I was on a case, and I hope you know that dark circles under the eyes are an Italian thing" He grumbled.

"You're Italian? Say something in Italian"

Nico said something along the lines of '_You're an idiot and I'd love to sew your mouth shut' _, to which Solace nodded.

"Didn't think you could actually speak it. Sounds cool man, I'm not gonna ask you what you just told me"

"That's wise"

Solace just laughed.

They travelled in silence for a while, passing numerous people who stood and stared at the parade of Hell Hounds. Eventually, Nico relaxed; they reached the edge of the City, where the houses became less frequent, trees had no longer been planted in boxes and in neat little rows, people were more sparse. They ventured away from the roads that connected Olympus to everywhere else, heading for more wild places.

"So, why aren't you on the team if your dad is Hades? Shouldn't that make you a compulsory member?" Solace asked curiously as they reached the tree line to a small wooded area.

"What's with the Questions?" Nico shot back suspiciously. He wasn't a fan about people asking him about his life. Since his family were all dead his past was not a cheery subject. He didn't get why Solace was so curious.

"Its weird riding in silence. So? Team? No?" Solace pressed.

"I prefer being a cop"

"But you helped them the minute they called"

"It was Hell Hounds"

"Why didn't you want them killed? Pretty dangerous if you ask me"

"I didn't ask you, and you've not died on the three hours we've been riding them" Nico pointed out. Solace huffed.

"Fine, avoid my Questions. Lets deliver some Hell Hound pups and go home"

Nico thought that was a great idea (though no way he would give Solace the satisfaction of letting him know) and they kept going, Nico looking around to check on the pregnant Hound every five minutes or so. She looked much happier to be back in what Nico guessed was their territory- or close to it- and that made him feel better; the pups are no longer in danger of being miscarried from stress now she was nearly home.

The pack's territory began at the edge of a stream and stretched toward a cliff face, where all of the Hounds gathered in a wide, spacious cave. They weren't small creatures, so even in a large space there was limited room, every hound was pressed against each other once they all settled. Nico and Solace dismounted and the Golden boy immediately went to the Pregnant Hound, who only allowed him to touch her and her unborn cubs once Nico had sat with her and calmed her enough, letting her know that Solace was no danger to her.

"Hmm, at least seven in there from what I can tell" Solace reported quietly, running a hand across the Hound's underbelly "Though there's only six teats. That might be a problem. And the pups aren't due for another few days or so"

"A few days?" Nico asked, and he nodded.

"At least two- are you gonna wait that long here?"

"I'm not leaving her, Solace"

"Right, so we better find a spot" He replied briskly. Nico grumbled. Great, another few days with only Solace's company- he'd prefer having five angry Hell Hounds then enduring the riveting conversations the newbie would try to initiate him in. Nico wasn't really a talker- not since being a little kid- so having a glowing Apollo boy accompany him wasn't his ideal plan. He would've preferred Annabeth, who he'd always gotten along with, or even Praetor, who he'd visited a few times and helped with the Legion- she and him had formed a good friendship over the past year. He and Reyna would've been just fine out here in the woods, they'd have made a campfire and given in to the childish conversations they usually didn't show with everyone else.

"You know, you're the least curious person I've ever met" Solace announced suddenly, about half an hour later, sitting down in front of Nico whilst he fiddled with the taser he was obliged to carry. He hated the thing, it looked evil to him, and using it was just awful. He was pretty sure he'd accidentally picked up the one Leo had been tinkering with last time he was at the station (arson, what a surprise), the one that sprouted flowers when he fired it. Maybe he would prefer that one, though it wouldn't be of any use when an armed robber came at him with a gun and his sword was at home.

"Oh? I thought I was curious" Nico replied, remembering all the times he'd been in trouble for curiosity. Like finding his previous boss and one of his co-workers going at it in the bathrooms at the station. Or following a pretty light and finding a dracanae at the end of it. Maybe he just wasn't curious about people.

"Are you serious? We've never met and you haven't asked me what I'm doing here, why I'm on the team, where I'm from- you don't even know my name for God's sake!" Solace cried. Nico raised an eyebrow. What was the dude's problem? Did it offend him that Nico was indifferent to where he was from? From his accent he guessed that Solace was Southern, but it wasn't a nagging urge to find out like it is for him to know exactly where Nereids go when they sleep or what would happen if a Satyr ate too much metal (Grover, who was in no way permanently damaged, did have to spend two days in hospital- though he and Percy just laughed it off afterward and told Nico to quit worrying, as if it wasn't the first time it had happened. Juniper told him it wasn't).

"Your name is Solace" Nico shrugged. Solace huffed.

"That's my last name. Go on, ask me my first"

"Why?"

"Because if we're gonna be here three days, we might as well get to know each other"

"Three? You said two before" Nico said. Solace shrugged.

"Two, three, no difference- they'll be easier if you at least talk to me" He reasoned. Nico sighed.

"What's your name?" Nico asked, hating that he was giving into this stranger. Solace beamed under his helmet.

"Name's Will Solace. And you, officer?"

"Nico Di Angelo"

"How Italian. Its nice to meet you Officer Di Angelo" Will grinned, offering a tanned hand. Nico shook it reluctantly. His hands were much larger than Nico's, and much warmer too. It was a side-effect of being a death kid that made his skin constantly cold. Jason liked to joke that he was cold blooded, though it was always light-hearted.

"Same to you, Solace" Nico replied, dropping his hand and fiddling with the taser again.

"I can tell you hate that thing" Will said, eyeing the thing suspiciously.

"I do. But it's a requirement to wear one. Some people like attacking cops" Nico shrugged.

"You can handle them though, right? I heard you have some great powers hidden away"

"Usually I fight them off. What?" Nico snapped, noticing that Will didn't look like he believed him.

"Nothing, you just uh- don't look like a wrestler"

"I'm stronger than I look"

"I sure hope so, you don't look strong enough to hold a cup of coffee"

Nico scowled. There was a challenge in Will's eyes.

"I'm just small- I could whoop your ass no problem"

"Yeah, sure you could"

"I could!"

"In your dreams, short stack"

"Who are you calling short you tin can of Hell hound dung?!"

At this, Will roared with laughter. Nico glared as the son of Apollo fell back against a Hell Hound, clutching his sides and howling with laughter. Nico tried to keep on scowling, but his annoyance hadn't stayed for long, and he looked back down at his hands, not eyeing the long neck that Will had bared when he threw his head back. No, Nico thought- he'd cut that out before it started.

"My my, you are a ray of Sunshine, Officer" Will giggled, wiping his eyes. His helmet shielded most of his face from view- what wasn't covered was painted a bright yellow- Will was a neon sign for monsters, it was nearly laughable.

"Shut up Solace" Nico grumbled.

"Only if you make me, officer" Will replied cheekily. Nico blinked. Was that a flirtation? Nico was never on the receiving end (he never did much flirting either), so it was hard to tell, but he was pretty sure that could be flirting. He felt heat rise to his cheeks and he glared.

"Whatever" He snapped "I'm going to get some wood for a fire"

And with that, he got up and stalked out of the cave, carrying his taser with him and cursing Will Solace for nearly making him- Gods forbid- blush.

Turns out Leo had been messing with the taser and Nico would be having serious words with him once he got back. he'd collected an arm full of wood fit for making a fire with, and was gathering more when someone grabbed his shoulder. Nico instinctively yelped and turned around, brandishing the only thing left in his hand- the stupid black box of electrical doom. He pressed the button and set it off, only instead of shocking his attacker, the taser let out a high pitched scream and fired whipped cream out of the end.

Really. Leo was getting seriously pranked when Nico got home.

Will blinked a few times, just as surprised as Nico was, before a large grin stretched across his face.

"Don't you dare start laughing Solace" Nico snapped, throwing the weapon away and picking up the firewood.

"That's some self defence mechanism you got there Sunshine- was that you screaming?" Will teased, trying and failing to hold in his chuckles.

"No" Nico replied "Blame Leo for that"

"You ruined my armour" Will pouted, looking down at his chest, which had now stopped glowing, extinguished by the whipped cream.

"Just clean it off and stop being a baby" Nico told him sharply.

"I might save it. If you get hungry, you can always lick it off my-"

"Shut up. Shut up right now" Nico cut him off, beginning to walk back to the cave. He'd have to start the fire outside, so he didn't spook any of the Hell Hounds who preferred the dark and the shadows. The fire would agitate them and he couldn't have that.

"Aw, come on Sunshine" Will whined "You're no fun"

"Stop calling me that" Nico growled. Will just laughed.

"It suits you- Sunshine"

Nico was so close to throwing a stick at him. So, so close. He stomped back to the cave and dropped the sticks outside, arranging them into a suitable pile, and then pulled a small silver lighter out of his pocket.

"You smoke?" Will asked.

"No- you know those things can kill you" Nico replied dryly, and Will rolled his eyes.

"So sarcastic, Sunshine- I'll never get a straight answer out of you, will I?"

"Not likely"

Will just sighed. Nico lit the fire and sat down on the ground before it, feeling the effects of his earlier shadow travel settle in his bones. He rested his head on his knees and watched the growing flames, making sure they didn't spread and cause a forest fire. Will tested the whipped cream on his tongue, and once he deemed it okay it was gone within a few moments, leaving Nico both impressed and slightly disgusted.

"So, Nico- you may not be curious about me, but I am very curious about you, and your shenanigans with the team. So tell me your story" Will suggested, sitting on the opposite side of the fire. The sun was beginning to sink through the trees, making light bounce from his golden armour, turning the guy into a miniature sun right in front of Nico. Nico hugged his knees defensively.

"Why would you want to know that? Its not exactly cheery" He grumbled, and Will shrugged.

"I hear the others talk about you a lot- guess I wanna know more"

The others talked about Nico? Enough to make a complete stranger curious about his existence? Nico was rather touched, even if it turned out that it was the persistent Will Solace that wanted to know his life story.

"Yeah well, not much to know. I'm a cop. I have super powers. I was born in Italy with my Mom but then we moved here to be with my dad. That's about it"

Will didn't look very impressed with Nico's watered-down re-telling of his life. Far from it, in fact.

"You don't open up much do you? I can tell I'll have to work hard to get you to talk to me" He muttered.

"I am talking to you" Nico pointed out, and Will snorted.

"I meant without you brushing off every question I ask you about your past or yourself. Its not that hard to talk you know"

"Yeah well, easy for you to say"

"It isn't! My Name is Will, I was born in Louisianna and grew up on a farm with my Mom. I knew I had powers since I was a boy and I used them to work, because the crops weren't doing so good and we were running low on cash. I moved up here about a month ago now the farm is on its feet and my Mom has found a nice guy, and I can be a hero like I wanted, and help out in the Infirmary. I'm good at archery and healing hymns, and I can curse people to speak in rhyming couplets. See, easy" Will reeled off, and Nico sighed.

"I just don't do talking, Solace" He told him, and Will raised an eyebrow.

"An action man, are you? You don't look the type, but then you don't look like a Chatty Cathy either. Are you okay?" Will asked, noticing that Nico had begun to slump over slightly.

"Yeah, just shadow travelling, takes it out of me sometimes"

"You should sleep"

"I'm fine"

"As a medic I advise you rest"

"Will, I'm fine"

"Doctor's orders"

"Ugh, Fine! If you'll shut up" Nico snapped, and Will grinned.

"Will do Officer! Sweet dreams"

Nico stalked into the cave and found and space beside the pregnant Hellhound, taking off his jacket and using it as a pillow, he drifted into a weary sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

**hello! Here is the second chapter to the sequel AKA I read BOO and fell in love with Solangelo so now they get their own story- I hope you like it! Drop me a review, they make me very happy! **

Nico dreamed of darkness. He used to be great with the dark- there had been a time between his mother dying and finding his place in the world where he'd been hopelessly lost, finding the dark to be the only place he could see the world the way it was. Bianca had brought him out of that, he found his policing job, he and she had been happy for a while, seeing their father regularly.

Then they were taken from him too. Nico had been so bitter; so angry that once again he was thrown into the dark. It was almost welcome to him then, the place where monsters lived was where he was most at home, where he could be alone. He pulled himself out of it, remembered Bianca's words the last time this happened, fixed himself up.

He dreamed of that darkness. It scared him now, all the monsters he'd seen, all the ghosts he'd hunted but none of them his sister. He dreamed of being chased, the ghosts trying to use him to live again, twisted and insane and-

"Nico, Nico stop yelling in Italian!" Will's voice woke him suddenly and he sat up, nearly head butting the Apollo boy in the nose. Nico scrambled backward hurriedly, distancing himself from the blue eyed, shaggy haired boy who'd lost his helmet and Holy smokes, he was beautiful. Nico's mouth open and closed a few times, reeling from the dream and even more now from seeing Will's face. What gave him the right to look like that and scare Nico half to death? Who does he think he is?

"Sorry" Nico muttered, and Will stared him down, concerned.

"You had a nightmare" It wasn't a question. Nico shrugged.

"Yeah"

"You want to-"

"Talk? Not particularly" Nico replied. Will nodded.

"Take this. Mrs Jackson said you used to go to her for stuff to treat bad dreams but nothing worked- I was uh, working on something that might help. Care to try it?" He offered, pulling a tiny vial from his pocket. His armour had been shed and was glowing nearby, one larger Hell Hound lay with his front paws across it possessively. Nico took the Vial and eyed it suspiciously; it looked completely clear, like water in sunlight, and he shrugged.

"I'll bite" He muttered, pulling out the stopper and downing it in one. Will had to catch Nico before he dropped like a stone to the floor, and all he remembered was a faint lullaby as he faded away, back to sleep.

To his surprise, Nico had no dreams after that. He woke up confused, not used to being dreamless for once, warm and cozy. He was wrapped around something (he did have a habit of hugging his covers in his sleep), arms and legs wound around it like a koala. Nico didn't think about what he'd claimed as his pillow; it was like a furnace, something he had been in desperate need of since his body was at best, cool. It was a gift in the summer, on hot days, but when it got real cold, Nico was screwed.

"Morning Sunshine" The firm chest Nico's head rested on rumbled as Will's voice broke the peaceful morning silence, jarring Nico into complete consciousness. He sat bolt upright, untangling himself from Will (Gods, he'd been hugging Will like a freakin' childhood blanket) and backing away until he was pressed up against a sleeping hell Hound, who batted him with its tail. Will smiled and sat up, running a hand through his blonde hair. He was obviously more of a morning person than Nico was; he looked perfect, as if he'd gotten a complete night's sleep and had no trace of tired lines, which Nico was famous for having. He had natural dark circles under his eyes which only ever got darker, and he was generally bitter about not being gifted with being able to get up early and be able to function sufficiently.

"You looked less grumpy when you were clinging to me in your sleep" Will commented lightly, and Nico growled, looking away from Will and crossing his arms.

"Shut up"

"That should be your catchphrase, Sunshine; don't be embarrassed, I am like a radiator, and it is chilly out. You hungry?"

Nico looked over to find that Will had produced sandwiches from somewhere, and Nico's stomach grumbled.

"Where did you get those?" He asked suspiciously; he didn't believe there was a café somewhere in the woods nearby he could've popped into and bought breakfast from. Will laughed.

"I'm a Doctor, I carry around food so no one starves, and you sir need to eat, so come over here"

Nico picked his way back over and took one of the sandwiches Will was offering. He did eat plenty, especially after using his powers, its just that he didn't look like he did. Must be a death kid thing, looking like you were actually dead. Nico was used to it by now. He took a bite and then two more, finding the sandwich to be the best thing he'd ever tasted. Within a few bites it had vanished, and Will raised an eyebrow.

"Hungry, were you? Glad to know you have an appetite" Will chuckled. He got up and made his way over to the female Hell Hound, who seemed a little more relaxed since she was used to him, and he checked her over. Nico watched from nearby as Will's hands gently examined the Hound, tanned and much larger than his. Will had hands perfect for playing piano, he had the long slender fingers that could tickle the ivories. Apollo himself had been a skilled musician, maybe Will had inherited the skill.

Nico thought it would be totally unfair if already well off Will Solace was a musician too.

"What are you staring at me for?" Will asked, bringing Nico out of his half-hearted cursing of the unfairness of it all.

"Nothing. How is she?" He asked. Will smiled.

"She's doing great. I can feel that it's nearly time for her to give birth, but all seven pups are okay. I'm worried about there not being enough teats though..."

"I'll look after the seventh, whichever one is the runt of the litter" Nico announced, surprising them both.

"You'll take on a Hell Hound? How big is your house?!" Will exclaimed, and Nico rolled his eyes.

"I'll raise it. I know all about being left on your own"

Will looked like he was dying to ask, but to Nico's relief he kept his mouth shut.

The Hell hounds, though usually more active at night, seemed to be sleeping in shifts to keep an eye on their new companions. Three Hounds remained asleep, surrounding the female, whilst the remaining too stretched out their muscled limbs, yawning to reveal sharp teeth. Nico headed out of the cave and they followed, a sort of dull curiosity in their dark eyes.

"My father used to say you guys were great wrestlers- I wanna see if that's true" he announced, taking off his jacket, hating for it to get dirty. He could filthy the black t-shirt he wore, he didn't care about that, but he took a certain amount of pride in his uniform and didn't want to see it ruined because he was wrestling with giant dogs.

One of the two Hell Hounds ran at him as Will stepped into the sunlight, and he yelled in shock, attempting to run to Nico's aid as if he were a damsel in distress. Nico rolled his eyes and charged right back at the Hound, doing a football-style tackle against it's thick neck. Much to his surprise the Hound was stopped in its tracks, even pushed back a little, and there began a fast-paced wrestling match between the two. The Hound wasn't aiming to hurt Nico, more to pin him down, and he aimed for the same outcome, glad that the match wouldn't turn lethal. Occasionally Nico would catch glimpses of Will, stood watching as if frozen there, blue eyes wide and fixed on Nico as he dodged swiping paws and climbed all over the Hound to bring it down.

"I think we're evenly matched buddy" Nico said breathlessly, a little giddy from the adrenaline rush of fighting such a creature. The Hound barked, the sound echoing loudly through the woods, his huge tail wagging. Nico couldn't fight the grin on his face.

"Good match, good match. Nice use of the tail" He complimented. The Hound put a large paw on his shoulder, gave another booming bark, and returned to his friend who had been watching. Nico had a feeling he was the referee, but he couldn't be sure.

"That...was quite a sight to see, Sunshine" Will said, still in the position Nico saw him last, a look on his face that Nico couldn't quite decipher. Was it shock? Awe? Nico thought he saw a sort of hunger, but it was gone suddenly, so maybe it was a trick of the sunlight that streamed in through the trees.

"Yeah well, told you I was stronger than I look" Nico replied, shrugging, scowling at the T-shirt that was now covered in dirt and Hell Hound saliva. Gross. He decided he'd take it off- there was a stream nearby that he could wash it in, hang it out in the sun and let it dry again. The day wasn't too cold, not that it would bother him if it was, and the soft breeze was nice against his skin.

"Y-you- uh- are more-"

"Muscled than you thought? Yeah, no one expects the skinny Italian guy to actually have muscles. No need to stare at me like I'm a freak" Nico snapped, though he felt a sort of satisfying rush seeing Will's eyes widen at the sight of him, Nico usually hated it- he changed in bathrooms where no one would see him, he hated people staring. But somehow, this was different. It was good.

Why though? Nico shouldn't be happy about this. He should be annoyed like he is at everything else. Damn Will Solace and his immunity to Nico's dark cloud of moodiness.

"Right, sorry" Will muttered. Nico nodded and walked away toward the stream, making it a few feet before his wrestling buddy caught up to him. Hell hounds were generally quite territorial, he could understand that he couldn't go alone, but after bonding a little Nico had a feeling the hound wasn't there to keep an eye on him; he was there to make sure he came back safe.

"You're pretty cool, you know that? A lot of people misunderstand Hell Hounds. They think you're monsters, think you're mindless creatures, but you're not. You're caring, and protective- a big misconception is that you're lone wolves, and that's far from the truth" Nico found himself saying as they walked along, not sure why he was talking to the Hound, but doing so anyway.

"You have packs and homes, and no one can see it but people who take the time to look past your scary faces- Sorry. My Dad thought you were beautiful creatures. He said that Hell Hounds had a bad name because humans were scared of what they couldn't understand. What they couldn't dominate. I think you're beautiful too"

The Hell Hound nudged Nico with his nose, and Nico smiled. He didn't smile too often, it just wasn't his thing, but Hell Hounds were so rare and so hard to get close too, he felt immense joy knowing that this pack were beginning to trust him.

They reached the stream and Nico washed his shirt in the steady flow of water, so clear that he could see every detail in the rocky bed below.

"People can have packs too sometimes. Family, friends- Sometimes when their packs die they get lost for a while. But...they are always found again. You're lucky to have a pack. I didn't quite realise it before, but I'm lucky too. You met my pack- I mean they tried to kill you but that was a misunderstanding- they always want me to feel included, even if I don't make it very easy. I've never talked to them as much as this, so you better feel thankful. They always try to understand, and they didn't argue when I refused to put on a mask and join them. They just accepted it. Accepted me"

Nico watched the birds in the canopy of trees above, flitting from branch to branch, content to bask in the sunlight and life of the forest for a while. The Hell Hound and he didn't fit the earthy green, lively picture- they stood out in the forest like sore thumbs, but neither minded. Nico's shirt looked much cleaner than before so he wrung it out and began the short journey back, his new friend in tow.

"Are they yours? The pups, I mean" Nico asked. The Hound made an affirmative noise and wagged his tail a few times.

"You must be excited" Nico assumed, and the Hound wagged his tail a little faster.

"Well its not long now, The Hounds are ready to be-"

"NICO!"

For a weird moment, Nico thought it was the Hound that had spoken. The animal's ears had pricked up, a low growl began to rumble in his throat, mixed with a whine. Will Solace came running toward him, the mother Hound and two more behind him.

"What is it? What happened?" Nico demanded.

"Someone attacked the cave- Killed two of the Hounds-"

The Hound beside Nico, whom he assumed now was the Alpha, let out what sounded terrifyingly close to a roar.

"You can't go back there" Nico told him sternly "You lost two of your own, but you can't risk your pack losing you too. We need to find more shelter. Will, you take the lead. I'll try and find out what happened"

"You can't risk getting hurt-"

"I can do what I want. Take them somewhere else, I'll find you" Nico ordered, and made his way back toward the cave that the Hounds called home. There was a body at the mouth, a defeated Hound, and though the cave was filled with smoke and ash Nico could see the form of another dead Hell Hound. Rage settled in his stomach, fire roared in his chest; whoever killed two of his creatures would pay in blood, he would find them and let them know exactly who they just made their enemy.

But before he could turn and unleash hell on the murderer, something heavy struck his head, and Nico hit the ground with a heavy, painful thud.

"Bryce, tie up the intruder, and then skin the mutts; we need to be going soon if we want to round up the whole bunch of them"


	3. Chapter 3

Its been so long and I am so sorry! Sometimes inspiration escapes me, but its come back so here's another chapter and I hope you enjoy it, drop me a review and tell me what you think!

Will was always a worrier; he worried when his Mom worked late and had to walk in the dark on her own, he worried when heroes came into the infirmary beaten and bruised from a night fighting crime; he worried when Mrs Jackson sat down, too tired to speak to him, watching the resting heroes whilst not resting herself. As someone who healed more than fought, his caring instinct was always much higher than everyone else's.

Right now, he was worrying for Nico.

Why did he let the guy go back on his own? Will was an idiot. Something about the grumpy cop just threw him off his focus, allowed him to just do as he was told and leave his companion to face the danger on his own. From what he'd grasped, Nico was used to being on his own. It made Will's heart ache a little for him, epecially after hearing stories from the rest of the team of heroes who'd nominated themselves Nico Di Angelo's 'protection squad' after everything he'd been through. They tried really hard to help him, and Will thought that was nice, but they were all so close and in sync, its hard not to feel left out around them.

Will looked back frequently as he led the remaining hellhounds away, the three males surrounding the female protectively, sniffing the air and scanning their surroundings, teeth bared and ready to fight. He couldn't help when the fire started; it must've been a trap prepared before they even arrived, who knows the poachers could've scared the hounds into the city knowing that Nico would bring them right back, to where they'd laid their plans to kill the animals. It made Will angry to think that someone would do that to these rare creatures, who were no more dangerous than Nico himself was, and since Will had woken up to find the smaller man wrapped around him like a blanket he knew the situation wasn't as dark and dangerous as it seemed. It was actually quite cute.

"Okay, there are some caves further up, we could hide in there until Nico comes back. Which he will. Because he knows this stuff, of course he does, I mean I've heard that he's really powerful and he likes you guys so he'll be real angry so he's sure to kick ass and then come back...right?"

The Hounds didn't answer, which didn't surprise Will, but when Nico talked they made small noises in response. He guessed he was not similar enough to the brooding cop to warrant a reply. He hurried alongside the hounds as they climbed the shallow incline, him silently mourning the loss of his golden armour. The fire was too large and too dangerous to grab it, and he was sure it had been trampled as the hellhounds were retreating. He sighed quietly; it had been Chiron's gift to him, protection that also reacted to his bio-luminescence. It was truly one of a kind.

"Okay, in here" Will announced, once they stumbled across a cave he deemed suitable, ushering the mother Hound inside. He was ready to check her over in case she had any burns or if the pups had been affected by the smoke and the danger, but as he bent down the Hound that returned with Nico stood between them, teeth bared, ears flat against his skull in warning; keep away from my pack.

"Right, hearing you loud and clear" Will said, palms up, knowing that even if the pregnant hound was in danger of losing her litter, he couldn't go near her without losing a few limbs to this guy's gullet. Best to wait for Nico to return to calm them down.

It was getting dark fast and still the cop hadn't returned, and Will had taken to pacing just inside the cave, out of sight, trying and failing to control his anxious glowing. It happened a lot, endearing when he was younger, a little embarrassing now. He used to glow at night when he was little because he was afraid of the dark; his Mom told him that was okay, because he was just like his Dad. When he had his first crush, his cheeks lit up whenever he saw her. His first kiss made him glow like a firefly, though Jacob Green said it was cute and they dated for a month before it wasn't so endearing anymore. Then there was the incident in the Maize, him trying to be a hero, but his light only revealing the victim's hiding place to the man chasing her, and- well lets just say that nowadays, Will kept his glowing under wraps.

The pregnant hellhound whined softly behind him, and it filled him with a heavy feeling; he could almost touch the mourning for the dead hellhounds in the air- the remainder of the pack lay close together, nuzzled into each other's fur, and Will thought their expressions were more heartbroken than he'd ever seen on a human face. He hoped he'd never see something like it again.

"Come on Sunshine" He muttered toward the mouth of the cave "Don't make me come and get you"

No doubt that Nico would kind of resent him for trying to come to the rescue, but if he wasn't back by the time dawn broke, Will was going out after him, whether he liked it or not. Daytime was Will's territory, he was more energized the lighter it was, so if he was going to try for a daring rescue at any time, it would have to be as the sun lit up the forest. Until then, he wasn't powerful enough to do anything but provide a human flashlight, and what use would that be if Nico was in danger?

He stayed at the mouth of the cave for a long time, sleeping as he waited, but not too deeply to stop hearing the night animals coming out of their burrows and their dens and hunting for food; somewhere nearby, an owl snatched an unsuspecting mouse from the safety of the leafy floor, a group of bats left their cave (Will was glad he didn't choose to camp in that one), and he heard what sounded like a moose trampling through the river.

"Whoa- hey girl, can't sleep?" He asked, as a cold wet nose nudged his arm. She whined, laying down next to him, looking out at the sky. She was a night creature, her black fur made for hunting in the dark, big black eyes able to see without the light. She reminded him of Nico, though he seemed to have adapted to living in the light. He too had the big black eyes, almost doe-like when he was sleepy, sharp and alert when not. Maybe he was so defensive because he was exposed in the light. Maybe one day Will would find out. He was an optimistic person, he would like to believe that he and Nico could get along, become friends, become...something. Even if he was the living embodiment of light and Nico was the complete opposite of that.

Opposites attract, right?

"How about I check you over, huh? Just to be safe" Will said softly, and the Hound let him, though behind her he could see three steely pairs of eyes fixed on his every move. He found burns around her back legs and her tail, and he sung his healing hymn, hands glowing softly, and they healed, the fur growing back thick and fast. He felt around her belly, feeling seven rapid heartbeats, a few paws and the mother whined, tail thumping against the ground.

"Yeah, not long now and they'll arrive. We'll get rid of the poachers and you guys can raise the pups safely" Will said, running a hand through the soft fur on the Hound's side, nearly losing sight of his hand, feeling her steady pulse like a drum against his palm. The Hound nuzzled him, warm and inviting and he rested against her, watching the stars for as long as he could before he drifted off to sleep again.

"What do we do with him?" A deep voice asked, and Nico's head hit something sharp. By the feel of his back and shoulders, he was being dragged along the floor, and it was pretty rocky. He opened an eye and glared. The giant of a guy that was dragging him had him by the ankle like he was a ragdoll, walking alongside a weedy blonde boy with an upturned nose and the air of someone that believed he was the best thing since a double edged sword.

"Use him as bait. Don't you know who this is Bryce? This is Hades' son! Friend of the Mutts! If we can keep him with us long enough to attract that cousin of mine and the rest of the pack, but not the hotshot heroes of Olympus, we'll have our prize and be rich within the week" He said pompously, a sly smile appearing on his thin lips. Cousin? He did have a similar look to Will, but it was unhealthy, thin and tired and unkempt. Will was (dare he say it) Radiant, whilst this guy...looked like he'd been attacked by a bear. twice.#

"Octavian, is it really worth the risk of attracting the attention of the Heroes? We could go back to hunting Hydras-"

"Who is in charge here, Lawrence, me or you? Oh yeah that's right, its me, so how about you do as I say before I gut you like a teddy bear? Hydras aren't worth as much as they used to be, but Hellhounds- oh Hellhounds, they're so rare, their fur could last you a thousand winters, unobtainable- just one pelt could make you richer than your wildest dreams! Which is why we're staying here and hunting down every last one of them, and if the Hades boy and my dear cousin get in the way, then they'll be hunted too"

Nico's irritation spiked, especially when Octavian's speech clashed with Bryce dragging him across a patch of particularly sharp rocks, and he shadow-travelled, right out of the giant's hand, into a nearby tree, the dark letting energy seep into his bones. The pair turned and drew weapons, Bryce raising a club, Octavian brandishing a small knife and looking like a child who wasn't getting pizza after all despite his Mommy promising.

"Where did he go? Find him Lawrence, he's our ticket to riches!" Octavian ordered, and Bryce squinted through the dark as he stepped toward the trees, stepping over small bushes as if they were nothing to him. Even with Nico's training, Bryce would crush him with a single blow- he couldn't pick a fight with him until he'd really got some strength back, and after being dragged a fair few miles across uneven terrain and hitting his head enough times to make him feel woozy he knew it would be a while until then. So he kept quiet in his tree, holding his breath and praying the branch held, because Nico wasn't strong enough to summon a dog treat never mind a skeleton or two to distract the poachers whilst he stumbled away. He used to hate backing down from a fight, but since he grew more appreciative of being alive, he realised sometimes it was best to back away instead of getting hurt for the sake of pride.

Thankfully, Bryce didn't seem so great at seeing in the dark and returned to Octavian, who didn't look happy.

"He could be a thousand miles away by now Boss, you heard the stories. He can go wherever there are shadows, remember?" Bryce said, and Octavian scowled.

"Whatever, as if those stories are real. Keep looking for the Hounds whilst I gather the pelts; we can't leave them unguarded"

Nico was flattered that Bryce thought he was able to go that far after being knocked out, whoever told these stories about him must either be a big fan or very dramatic. Either way it stopped him being found, so he'd have to shake the hand of whoever let Bryce Lawrence know he was all powerful at shadow travelling.

Nico fell back against the tree and wished for some light so he could check his wounds, or maybe even a certain hero who could help him out; but Will was somewhere else with his Hounds, keeping them safe, and he didn't know whether to be happy or annoyed about telling him to go. He might even have been able to endure Will's teasing and calling him Sunshine at this point if he would be there to fix his hurting head and back. He could feel the pain more now the adrenaline was gone, feel the blood that soaked his shirt (after he'd cleaned it too, he couldn't catch a break) from hem to collar. He was covered in dirt, he brushed away stones that had stuck in his skin, winced as he blindly picked thorns from his shoulders. He didn't know how long he sat there, head spinning, but not making him pass out as the night kept him going as it did when he needed it to. He remembered Sally telling him never to sleep with a head injury, so he let the night invigorate him like the day did with everyone else, the faint moon being absorbed into his skin, washing away the call for sleep. He'd trained himself to not be nocturnal, but it was his natural state, strangely easy to just go back to even after so long of sleeping all night and working all day. Must be the injuries.

He just had to stay awake long enough to gather the strength to get up and find Will, sit and let the night do it's work.

But it was getting harder, because the sky went from black to inky blue; the sun was rising, and Nico knew he was in trouble. He fell sideways and off of his branch, blacking out in mid-air before he even felt the pain of hitting the ground face-first.

Gods of Olympus help him.


End file.
